Samit Patel, the Nottinghamshire and England all-rounder had a very successful 2008 season which propelled him into the thoughts of the England selectors. Consistent performances in county cricket over two years earned him a call-up for the ODI series against South Africa and he picked up five wickets with his left-arm spin to prove his worth.

He also travelled to the Caribbean to take part in the Stanford Super Series, and was asked to open the bowling on occasion by captain Kevin Pietersen.

Strangely for a man who averages nearly 50 in first-class cricket, it is his bowling that has so far impressed more in the international stage and he showed in his first few matches an uncanny knack of picking up wickets at key stages.

However, he dropped out of the England reckoning after failing to meet fitness standards and has since returned to Nottinghamshire, signing a new contract with them and committing himself to the hard work and volume of runs required to get back into the national side.

He has a first-class best score of 176 and is one of Nottinghamshire’s most useful Twenty20 players.